Securing the Cargo Bay

Posted on Tue May 11th, 2021 @ 7:51pm by Executive Officer Jake Ford & Chief Engineer Michael Burnstein & Laurier Cami
Edited on on Fri Jun 25th, 2021 @ 12:23pm

Mission: Mission 13: Stowaway
Location: Cargo Bay
Timeline: MD 08 02:25
1596 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Jake and Burnie met Cami and Lil almost at the same moment at the cargo bay entrance, as though their timing had perfectly aligned to bring them all to that spot in the same moment.

"Before you ask," he said to the two women, "Ferengi raiders. Threats on our passengers and cargo. We're here to secure it fully," he summarised, pushing the door panel to open it up.

Inside, the cargo bay wasn't how they'd left it.

Multiple containers had shifted, likely because of the weapons fire and sharp piece of manaeuvering. Two large barrels had toppled - one had spilled some contents on the deck - and the large, heavy-looking box, the 'special cargo' the Ferengi merchant had been keen to keep safe, had been battered and shifted halfway across the room by another crate smashing into it.

"Lil, Cami - check that crate out," Jake motioned. "Burnie, do we need to be worried about containment here? These supplies should have been locked down."

That made Lil pause as she stepped toward it. Was it going to explode or something? Tentatively she touched the crate and then ran a scan on it. The equipment was old but should still work. "Uh Jake? I'd say we have a problem here. "

"Should have been..." Burnie replied to Jake, shaking his head - it never seemed to work out that way. But at the tone in Cami's voice he came over to check the box. "This looks like an old style stasis unit."

"Stasis unit? For what?" Jake wondered. "They're supposed to be medical supplies, right? Perhaps it's a refridgeration pod, for keeping them stable for transit." He shrugged, not really sure for himself. "Is it damaged?"

"No . . . but I am picking up life signs. Humanoid life signs." Lil said, her eyebrows rose.

"Nobody touch anything," Cami declared, her hands raised in warning. "These pods are older than my grandmother, and probably won't take too kindly to being bashed around the place." She peered around the reverse side of the container and gave Burnie a little nod. "It's ugly as a Cardassian's mother-in-law back here. Not sure I can fix this - what do you think?"

Burnie came around to have a look. He was thinking that he couldn't think of many reasons for secretly transporting a person in a hidden stasis unit that weren't illicit and/or immoral. But on seeing the state of the unit, questions of who and why were forgotten. "I think the unit's failing. We need to get whoever is in there out, and soon, or this 'special cargo' is going to have a bad case of freezer burn."

"Open it up," Jake finally nodded. At the end of the day it was his call, and they'd not said anything about a person being involved in this cargo delivery. Smuggling people was strictly against Federation law, so at the very least he had to make sure they weren't about to get in trouble for something they weren't aware of. Not to mention the fact that the person might die if left there.

"Give me a moment. Prophets, this had better work..." Cami responded, cranking an override lever. "Seals broken. Try opening it now."

Burnie pressed the latch. There was a hiss as the top began to move, then a *clunk*. Movement stopped and he cursed under his breath. "Something broke," he said pulling out a spanner and working to force it. A click and puff of intense cold signaled that whatever had locked the mechanism was at least dislodged. It wasn't sliding on it's own though. Wedging the tool into the groove, he levered it up. He stared down at the form of a girl - one still frozen in a unit that might or not be working properly to dethaw her. "Get a medic down here!"

She had caramel colored hair, thin cheekbones, slightly darker spots that ran down the sides of her head and onto her shoulders and perfectly pouty lips, or she would have if she had been awake. She still looked slightly frozen. "Poor girl," Lil said, getting angry about this. "Who would do such a thing? She's not cargo."

"Considering this cargo was brought on board by a Ferengi trader..." Jake didn't need to finish the implication of his statement. He touched his communicator. "Ford to Infirmary. Get a medic down here to the cargo bay." He glanced at Lil. "Which one of us gets to explain this to the Captain?"

"I will. I'm new, he can't throw me out an airlock yet." Lil joked half heartily. "I'll just slip out and go have a conversation with him before word of this gets too far out there." She turned to leave."What shop

Jake watched her go, but turned back as he was alerted to movement. The girl in the pod was awake. He'd not anticipated that the stasis unit would have brought her back to consciousness so quickly. He shot a nervous look at Burnie and Cami before he moved forward to check on her.

"Hey...take it slowly. You've been in stasis for...a while." He wasn't even sure how long she had been under. Days? Weeks? Even years? "My name is Jake. Do you remember who you are?"

"Persis," she croaked, her throat felt dry, raspy and she had no energy to move her body. "Are you my husband?" She opened her eyes to look properly at him.

"Oh...uh..." Jake looked around awkwardly. "I'm afraid not. What were you doing in that stasis pod? Who put you there?"

"This little weird looking man. I think he was called a Ferengi? He promised that when I woke up I'd see my husband. I was being sent to him for marriage and to align our houses." She thought for a moment. "Fezzik, that was his name."

"That's the guy who contracted us, but I've never heard of sentient smuggling for an arranged marriage before," Burnie said, then pulled at hte back of his neck frowning. "At least not in this era. It was once a human trafficking thing on earth, but that was in the old pre-contact days."

Beya had heard at least part of the exchange as she ran into the cargo bay. "Whatever's going on, it can wait until she's checked out." Men - no sense of priorities she thought as she reached the open stasis box and ran a medscanner on the occupant. "A little hypothermic, but not too bad," she pronounced, and reached in free her of the restraint keeping her secured in the unit before offering ah and to help her out. "I'm Beya, one of the medics on the ship. I'm going to give you something to help with recovery since the box you were in seems to have malfunctioned. And one of these guys," she looked pointedly at the people standing around, "will get you a blanket for the chill."

"Here." Jake tugged off his uniform jacket and threw it around the young woman. "We'll go speak to Fezzik with the Captain. He's got some explaining to do."

Persis turned her head still studying him as she pulled the jacket around her. "What is your name?"

"I'm Jake. This is Beya - she's going to get you checked over. Don't worry, she won't hurt you," he replied, ushering her along with the medic.

Won't hurt her..? "Yeah, my skin's green, but I'm not a slaver, gangster, or anything else evil - just a medic," Beya said tersely, with a sharp look at Jake. She took the woman's arm to provide support and guide her out. "Come on, let's get to medbay and make sure you're okay."

Persis looked from Jake to Beya and didn't look at all convinced. "Are . . . are you sure you can't come with me too?" She asked, practically clinging to Jake's arm as the other women took hers. Suddenly when she touched his skin something seemed to happen to her. She swayed on the spot, her vision blurred and a warmth spread through her body.

Beya narrowed her eyes at Jake. Would this person react like that if he hadn't put the idea that she was dangerous in her head? "He's not a medic, but if you're so scared of me, Fine." Beya stepped back. "He can carry you to medbay and find someone who isn't green to check you over."

"I'm needed elsewhere." Jake looked at Beya a second time, confused by her comments about skin colour. "This place is safe," he clarified, a little for the Orion's benefit, as though clarifying his own statements. "If you like we'll check in with you later." He tossed a look back at the others. "Cami or Burnie can come with you."

Burnie looked at Beya, looked at how the strange woman had been clinging to Jake, and then looked at Cami. "Why don't you go with them?" he suggested - he did not a medic hacked off at him or a clingy chick messing up how well things were going with Nollel. "I think I should have a look through the rest of this in case there's any more ...unexpected cargo."

Peris still looked unsure but she nodded and followed after the others reluctantly. It seemed almost painful to leave this new man. "What ship am I on?" She could be heard to ask as they left the cargo bay.

Jake shared a look with Burnie. "Secure the bay. Lil and I will report this in to the Captain."